Interprofessional Collaboration and Self-Compassion Intervention for School-Based Practitioners: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Aims: To evaluate a five-month, hybrid, districtwide interprofessional collaboration and self-compassion training-and-coaching intervention. Methods: Following a full-day interprofessional training in a large urban, K-through-12, Southern U.S. public-school, 34 participants (27 speech language pathologists, 5 occupational therapists, 2 physical therapists) self-selected to complete an ongoing interprofessional project. Intervention included the one full-day in-person training, monthly group coaching sessions, and post-study focus group. Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey and Self-Compassion Scale, Short-Form were completed pre-training and post-coaching sessions. Recordings of coaching sessions and post-study focus group were analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Quantitative analysis via paired sample t test revealed an increase in the total score on both measures (p <.001). Qualitative analysis revealed thematic underpinnings of successful team “lift”: Generous Give, Shared Logistical Purpose, and Social-Emotional Benefits. These contrast in teams that struggled to “lift”, where barriers were Lack of Buy-In and Systemic Dysfunction. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the positive impact of a districtwide intervention on interprofessionalism and self-compassion competencies of therapists, informing creation of a novel model, the “Lift of Collaborative Teams” model for future interprofessional initiatives.